Sic Bo: How to Bet, Payouts and the Lowest-Edge Bets

What is sic bo?

Sic bo uses three dice shaken by a machine under a glass dome. Players place chips on the layout and the winning areas light up after each roll. It is fast and simple, and hugely popular in Macau.

Main bets

• Small: total 4–10, pays 1:1
• Big: total 11–17, pays 1:1
• Note: any triple makes both Big and Small lose
• Single number: pays 1:1, 2:1 or 3:1 depending on how many dice show it
• Totals: bet on a specific total — high payouts, rarely hit
• Specific triple: pays very high (around 150–180 to 1, casino-dependent)
• Any triple: around 24–30 to 1

Lowest-edge bets

Big/Small carries a house edge of about 2.78%, the best in the game. Triples and some totals run into double digits — the bigger the payout, the worse the odds.

Tips

• The results board does not predict the next roll — dice have no memory
• Check the payout table first; it varies between casinos
• The game is fast: limit your rounds or your time